Tim agreed to a day of fun up at shortoff again. 2 items need crossed off the list. The long standing goal of climbing the Golden Rule, and get into the Tilt World. Quick departure from town got us up there pretty quick and the arrive at the trailed at 8:30AM.
Funky facial hair powered the hike to the cliff lines and the approach gulley. We made quick work and were at the base of the Construction job before the morning light would begin to bake the wall. I flew up the 1st 2 pitches (70M) of the construction job to the base of the crack. Tim joined my on the belay and we start to look at the entrance to the Golden Rule. From the belay, I trend hard left to the base of a left arching finger crack. The cliff the drop drastically below your feet. I was able to get a 2 lobes of a .75 in the crack before I could clip the pin. 2 finger pod left you move further and get to a bolt. Big moves from the bolt to unknown edges are the 1st crux. 2nd bolt then protect another big throw or lockoff. 3rd bolts protect another crux, before I got to some hero jugs to recover. I am able to barely keep my fingers on the crimps to onsight the route. I had setup a camera on timer to capture some pictures of the route.
Tim and I then set off into the Tilted World. We rapped in to save us from the rough entry pitches. Dropping in was a dizzying experience as the wall dropping way. We scrambled down and to the start of the 2nd pitch Tim clawed his way around.and up to the very plush and comfy belay of “Built to Tilt”. From here it was some cracking and chimneying until one could stop a top the pedestal contemplate your life and why you choose this as a hobby. A 1 big and committing move and you we on the massive jugs to the top. Tim had cross off one of his bucket list routes.
By now it was really hot out and the desire to go do anything else was beginning to wain. Then a thought crossed my mind while I sat look at the the head wall of the tilted world, ” I wonder if its ever been done as a traverse.” I brought it up to Tim and we decided to have a go and a look. I started on a platform of rock and immediately made a hard right off into the world. The exposure was immediate but I trudge on with the circuitous route. Placing large and small gear alike I plugged away. Eventually the pump kicked and the sharp jagged holds were hard to maintain. I searched and found a route to top out.
Thus ended a cool new route dubbed “Tilted Arms”, with the full extension of Tilted Arm World wide still left to be done.
